Automatic accelerating clutch



Il... L. NAKASHEAN AUTOMATIC ACCELERATING CLUTCH March H9, E3. u

Fild Ju ly l1, 1932 Patented Mar. 19, 1935 tartas orifice;

The present invention relates to an improved accelerating clutch that 'is adapted to automatically establish a connection between rotatable driving and driven elements for the transmission of power therebetween, after the driv- 'ing element has nearly attained its normal operating speed, and to disconnect said elements when the driving element ceases to have power applied thereto.

The object Yof the invention is to provide a clutch of theabove indicated character that is adapted to permit the driving element to ace celerate free of the load on the driven velement until the driving element approaches full speed; the clutch beingparticularly suitable for automatically connecting an'electric motor to loads requiring a relatively high startingtorque. In operation, theload' is imposed onv the motor gradually and evenly until its full speed is nearly reached, whereupon the motor is positively clutched to the load, without shocks and strains on the motor and mechanism connected to the drivingelement. The above and other advantageous featuresor" the invention will herein.- after more fully appear from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:-'

Fig. 1 is a viewin side elevation of'aclutch embodying the invention, as applied to an electric motor drive. Y v Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the clutch shown in Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale.

Fig., 3 is a Vertical sectional View along the.

line 3--3of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures.

Referring to the drawing, the driving element is represented by a rotatable shaft 1, to which power is applied in any suitable manner from a prime mover, such as an electric motor 2, the shaft 1 being shown as directly connected tothe rotor of the motor. The driven element is represented by a rotatable shaft 3 in alinement with the shaft 1 and adapted to be connected to a load, not shown, by a suitable keyway 4, with the clutch embodying the invention interposed between the shafts 1 and 3.

As best shown in Fig. 2, the clutch comprises an annular flange 5 formed integrallyv with the shaft 3 and rotatably supported by a bearing 6 on a sleeve 7 rotatable with the driving shaft l through a key 8. lThe flange 5 is connected by screws 9 to a cylindrical drum 10, which provides an annular flange 11 spaced from and parallel to the flange V5, with the hub of the Y iiange` 1l rotatably supported in a bearing 12 surrounding thesleeve 7. The driven shaft 3 and the spaced Vflanges, 5 and 11, with the drum 10 therebetween, thus form a unit rotatable on the driving shaft 1 and entirely enclosing-the clutch mechanism next to be described. 1

The sleeve '7 carried by the shaft 1 provides a radial flange 13 spaced substantially midway between the anges 5 and 11 of the driven element, and as bestshown in Fig. 3, the'flange 13 provides a numberk of radial slots 14, in each of whichis slidably mounted a wedge 15 providing oppositely beveled faces 15a extending beyond the slot 14. Each wedge 15 is normally held seated'at the inner end of its slot 14 by means of a spring 16 surrounding a stud l'l having its v outer portion threaded into an opening 18 pro- `vided'in vthe flange 13 and communicating with the slot 14. The inner end of each stud 17 is freely received `in an opening 19 provided in a wedge 15 so that the wedge 15 is maintained symmetrically disposed with respect to the slot 14, although movable therein against pressure of the `spring 16. Obviously, turning of the threaded portion of the stud 17 in the opening 18 permits the pressure exerted by the spring 16 on the wedge 15 to be readily adjusted.

Interposed between the beveled faces 15a of the wedges 15 and the innerfaces ofthe flanges 5 and 11'are pairs of 4annularpressure plates 20 and disks 21 of frictional material, with each plate 20 providing a set of seats 22 corresponding in number to the wedges 15. `As best shown in Fig. 2,

opposed'pairs ofV seats 22 of the plates 20 are 3 adapted to freelyreoeive the wedges 15, with the bottoms of the seats 22 having'the same injclination as the beveledwedge faces 15a. By reason ofthe reception o f the wedges 15 in the seats 22, both pressure plates 20 are-adapted to rotate with the driving sleeve 7, and with the shaft l stationary, there is substantially no frictional engagement between the plates 20 and the clutching disks 2l. Consequently, there is no initial connection between the shafts 1 and 3 and the motor 2 can accelerate free of the load on the driven element.

Asthe motor 2 speeds up, the pressure of the springs 16 tends to hold the wedges 15 in the position shown in Fig. 2, until centrifugal force developed by rotation of the shaft acts on the `wedges to overcome the spring pressure. When this occurs, the wedges 15 simultaneously move radially outward in the slots 14 and the reaction 0f the beveled faces 15a with the seats 22 is such .Withla rotating driving element providing an anf as to exert a pressure tending to shift the pressure plates 20 in opposite directions toward the flanges 5 and 1l. This movement of the plates 2O tends to compress the friction disks 21 between the plates 20 and the opposed flanges 5 and 1l, thereby imparting rotation of the driving shaft V1 to the driven shaft 3. Due to the formation of the Wedges 15and their seats 22, the pressure of the plates 20 is applied gradually and evenly, so that a complete engagement of the clutch is not obtained until the vrnotor has lattained its normal operating speed and Vis developing substantially full power.

I claim,

1. In an accelerating clutch, 'the :combination movement with respectv thereto for converting radial movement of lsaid Wedges ,in response to centrifugal force developed by rotation of said.I driving member intomovement in oppositedirectOIis ,along .the-axis ,of said driving element to eompress .said frietional Adisks and establish va power transmitting .connection betweensaid elements.

".2. In ,an accelerating clutch, lthe combination with .a rotating driving element providing ,an lan- Inular iiange having radial .slots therein, ,a series fof 'Wedges receivedin said ,slotsa rotatable driven `'element 4providing ,annular anges on .opposite ksideskof the .rst named flangeand spaced therefrom, Yand frictional disks positioned betweenop- ,posed faces .of ,said flanges on said driving and `lbeyond Ysaid slots, .a rotatable .driven element 9' Y y.providing annular ,flanges `oppositely disposed ivithrespect .to the Afirst-named.a'nge andspaced Y driven .elements respectively, `of annular pressure plates interposed between .said Wedges and said friction disks, .said Aplatesbeing provided with .slojts for the vreception iof said -Wedges whereby said ,plates rotate with said ,Wedges and exert pressure in .opposite directions von said disksin response to radial movement of said wedges due to centrifugal ,force developed by rotation of said ydri-ving element. y

,3..flr1 ,an accelerating clutch, the combination nular Yflange having radial ,slots ithereign, a series of wedgesslidably ,received in said slots, adjustable resilient members ,carried by said flange for yieldably maintaining said -Wedges at the bottoms .of said slots, a k'rotatable driven `element provid- ,ing annular flanges ,on opposite sides of the 1fi-rstnamed flange and spaced therefrom, and fric- .tional disks positioned between opposed faces vof ,said flanges `on saidldriving and driven elements respectively, of annularpressure plates vinterposed betvveen said Wedges and said friction disks, with said Wedges slidably received in inclined seats provided in said plates, rotation of said plates with said Wedges being accompanied by simultaneous movement of said plates in opposite directions along the axis of said driving element, to compress said frictional disks Vin response to radial movement of said Wedges when centrifugal f force 4developed .by rotation `of Vsaid driving ele'- ment :overcomes the pressure of said springs;

4. In an accelerating clutch, the combination with a rotating driving element providing an an-v nular ange having radial slots therein, ay series :of Wedgessliidably received in said slots, a rotatable driven lelement providing annular flanges oppositely disposed with respect to the rst- -V Anamed flange and spaced therefrom, and frictional disks positioned between opposed faces of the flanges on said driving and driven elements respectively, of annular pressure plates interposed between said ,Wedges Yand said Vfriotional disks with said Wedges in sliding ,contact-with opposed inclined faces yprovided by said plates and having the sameinclination as sadWedgeS,

rotation iof said pressure plates with said .Wedges being accompanied by simultaneous movement of said plates in opposite directions along the axis of the driving element in response 'to radial movement of s aid Wedges dueto :centrifugal force Ydeveloped zby rotation of said drivingelement, to Y flange having radial slots therein, 'a .series ,of

Wedges having Vparallel faces yslidable between the l Walls `of said .slots with inclined faces extending ingly inclined faces ,of said wedges, rotationof said pressure plates with said wedges .beng- 4companied by .simultaneousmovement "of ,Said

plates inopposite directions along .the axis" of .the drivingelementV in response .to radial movement of .said wedges due to ,centrifilgalV force developed'by rotation of said driving element to press said frictional disks `against the :flanges of said driven element and establislfiel .nowertransmitting connection between said elements'.

' Y LUKE NAKASHIAN, 1

with a d riving element providing .an .annular 

